Key-operated locks for articles of luggage



7 Nov; 7, 1967 w. E. CHANCE 3,350,902

KEY-OPERATED LOCKS FOR ARTICLES OF LUGGAGE Filed Sept. 14, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet l iNVE'NTOR'.

WILLIAM E NESTCHANCE Xw m ATTORNEY Nov. 7, 1967 w. E. CHANCEKEY-OPERATED LOCKS FOR ARTICLES OF LUGGAGE Filed Sept. 14, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 2 (NVENTOR:

WJ'IJUAM ERNESTCHANCE ATTORNE7 United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The invention provides a lock for articles of luggage havinga locking plate pivoted at one end and with a key engaged projection atthe other end, the projection being provided to extend inwardly of acentral aperture of the plate, and the plate being arranged so that itis held in the locked or unlocked position by a hair pin spring whichalso serves to urge the bolt in a hasp engaged position.

This invention relates to key-operated locks for articles of luggagesuch as, for example, suitcases, travel bags, and portable typewritercases, and comprising a linearly slidable bolt spring-urged intoengagement with a hasp part such as a hasp loop for example.

Hitherto such a lock has had a locking plate which in one position abutsthe bolt and holds it against sliding out of said engagement, and inanother position is spaced from abutment with the bolt to permitsliding, the plate being rotatable by engagement of a tongue bent orpressed up from the locking plate to form a key-engaging projection.Whilst this is satisfactory for many purposes, it has two limitations:first the strength of the key-engaging pro jection depends wholly on thethickness of the metal, but the bending or pressing of the projectionweakens it; secondly the height of the projection above the lockingplate increases the overall thickness of the lock thus mitigatingagainst a shallow construction.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved lock minimisingthe above two limitations.

In accordance with the invention a key-operated lock for articles ofluggage comprises a casing containing a linearly slidable boltspring-urged into engagement with a hasp part, and a locking plateprovided with pivot means, an aperture, and a key-engaging projection,the

latter projecting into the aperture from a part of the margin thereofmost remote from the pivot means.

Preferably the lock additionally comprises front and back plates withinwhich are mounted the bolt and locking plate and which include a pivotalpost such as a rivet or plunged part which supports the locking platepivot point.

A typical example of the invention and a modification of the examplewill now be more particularly described with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the lock engaged with a hasp loop;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the lock shortly prior to theengagement shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation of the lock, certain parts being cut awayfor clarity;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of components of the lock prior to theirassembly together;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the modified lock engaged with theloop of a modified hasp; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of two components of the modified lock.

Referring to FIGURES 1-4 of the drawings, a lock comprises a casingconsisting of front and back plates 5 and 6 which are metal pressingsand are held together by four tabs 7 extending from a substantiallycontinuous plate 6, and'can pivot thereabout 23 and this causes thespring 7 3,350,902 Patented Nov. 7, 1967 peripheral skirt 8 about thefront plate 5 to secure the back plate 6 therewithin. The plates 5 and 6define an internal cavity which opens to the exterior at one end throughan aperture 9 in the skirt 8. A rectangular hole 10 in the front plate 5opens into the cavity, and is shaped to receive a loop 11 on a hasp 12pivoted to an attachment plate 13 for securing said hasp 12 on a lid ofan article of luggage.

The cavity between the plates 5 and 6 receives a linearly slidable bolt14 (see FIGURE 4) which is a metal pressing in the form of a shallowtray. The bolt 14 has a generally rectangular piercing 15 adjacent oneend, and a catch portion 16 projects into the piercing 15 and pointstowards the other end of the bolt 14. Said other end projects throughthe aperture 9 and has a thickened and rounded off part 17 to facilitatemanual sliding of the bolt 14 along the cavity. In one position of thebolt 14, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, the piercing 15 isaligned with the hole 10 in the front plate, and the catch portion 16 iswholly withdrawn from projecting across the hole 10. In the positionshown in full lines in the drawing, the piercing 15 is not fully alignedwith the hole 10, and the catch portion 16 projects across the hole 10to engage in the hasp loop 11. The bolt 14 is urged by a spring 18towards the full line position. In the dotted line (FIG. 2) position ofthe bolt 14, which can be achieved by manual sliding against the spring18, the catch portion 16 does not project across the hole 10 and sopermits free ertry and exit of the hasp loop 11 into and from the hole 1The spring 18 is a hairpin spring and is trapped between a wall of thebolt, and a lug 20 upstanding from the adate tail 22. The tail 22presses against the edge of a locking plate 23, as will be described,and this urges the bolt 14 into the position where the catch portion 16projects partly across the hole 10. In movement of the bolt 14 to thedotted line position, FIG. 2, the lug 20 is free to travel towards andinto recess 32 in the locking plate 23, but the spring tail 22 isprevented from movement by the plate to flex and take tail 22 towardslug 19. This provides the restoring force which returns the bolt to thefull line position.

, The locking plate 23 is of quadrant. shape and has a pivot hole 24adjacent the apex of the plate 23. The pivot hole 24 is engaged by apart 25 plunged from the back between two limits determined by lugs 26struck up from the back plate '6. The locking plate 23 has asubstantially elliptical slot 27 which is transverse of a line passingthrough the pivot axis and a key hole 28 in the front plate 5.Symmetrical about said line, when the locking plate 23 is in amid-position between locking and unlocking positions, is akey-engageable projection 29 which extends inwards of the ellipticalslot 27 from a part of the margin thereof most remote from the pivothole. The tip of the ward 29 sweeps somewhat tangentially of a keybearing hole 30 in the back plate as the locking plate 23 pivots, thekey bearing hole 30 being aligned into the key hole 28. The edge of thequadrant remote from the pivot hole and on the opposite side of theprojection 29 to the latter has a pair of adjacent concave recesses 31and 32 which snap engage the tail of the spring and hence hold the plate23 in either position so that the spring fulfills two functions, namelyto position and return the bolt 14 and also to locate the locking platein either of two positions, but permit key-operated movement between thetwo positions: the said edge also includes an abutment edge 33 whichregisters with the lug 20 on the bolt 14 when the locking plate is inthe locking position, but which clears the lug 20 when in the unlock- 3ing position, the lug 20 then registering with the adjacent recess 32.

The key hole 28 in the front plate houses the conventional tophat-shaped slotted pressing 34 which controls the cross-section of keyacceptable in the lock, and the key when inserted is supported in thecrown of this pressing 34 and in the key-bearing hole 30 in the backplate 6. The key insertion position is controlled by the placing of thekey hole 28 in the front plate 5, so that the key bit lies at one sideof the locking plate projection 29, necessitating one complete turn ofthe key, of which only the last few degrees have any action, to transferthe key bit across the key slot from one side to the other and hencelock or unlock the lock. Turning of the key in the opposite direction isprevented by the projection 29, and hence a positive locking andunlocking action is provided.

The strength of the projection 29 depends merely on its thickness, andso can readily be as strong as required. The projection 29 does notincrease the lock thickness other than the metal thickness alone.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings, the lock shown thereindiffers from the lock described above principally in that it is reversedwith respect to the hasp 12 with the part 17 of the bolt 14 adjacent theattachment plate 13, as can be seen in FIGURE 5. As a consequence thehasp 12 is apertured at 40 to permit access to the pressing 34 forlocking of the lock, has its sides further cut away as at 41 to receivethe lock, and is recessed at 42 for convenience in lock operation; theattachment plate 13 is recessed as at 43 to accommodate said part 17.

With reference to FIGURE 6, the lock is modified by having an aperture44 in the skirt 8 of the front plate 5 opposite the aperture '9. Thispermits access to the bolt 14 at its end portion 45 opposite to the part17 and exposed even when the catch portion 16 is engaged with the hasploop 11. Said end portion 45 is bent outwardly through the aperture 43and through the aperture 43 and through the plane of the front plate 5so that it can be manually displaced against the action of the spring 18to move the catch portion 16 out of the position projecting partlyacross the hole 10.

The effect of the modification is that the bolt 14 can be manuallypulled downwardly away from the hasp part by the end portion 45 of thebolt 14 to release the hasp loop 11 in contrast to being manually pushedupwardly towards the hasp part by the part 17 to release the hasp loop11. This has certain advantages, particuarly when the suitcase is oflight construction.

I claim:

1. A key-operated lock for articles of luggage, compris- (i) a casingprovided with an aperture for the reception of a hasp loop;

(ii) a bolt slidable in said casing and having an aperture formed insaid bolt, with a catch portion integral with the bolt and projectinginto said aperture;

(iii) said catch portion being located so as to normally extend acrosssaid aperture in the casing, but being adapted to be withdrawn from thesaid aperture for insertion and removal of the hasp loop;

(iv) a hairpin spring carried in said bolt for movement therewith;

(v) a fiat locking plate pivotally mounted on said casing and having acentral aperture, said locking plate being provided on its end edgeremote from its pivot with a pair of arcuate recesses either of whichcooperates with said spring depending upon the angular position of saidplate, said edge including an abutment edge adapted to co-operate withand abut the bolt in one of said angular positions of the plate, andsaid plate having a key-engageable projection lying in the plane of theplate and provided remote from the pivot and extending inwardly of thesaid central aperture of the plate, so that in one key-turned angularposition of the plate the bolt is locked against sliding by the abutmentedge, and the plate is locked against accidental displacement by one ofsaid arcuate recesses co-operating with the spring, and in the otherkey-turned angular position of the plate the plate is again lockedagainst accidental displacement by co-operation of the other saidarcuate recess with the spring but the bolt is free for slidingaccompanied by loading of the spring between the bolt and said recess.

2. A key-operated lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bolt is ashallow tray-like part, and said spring is trapped between a wall of thebolt and a lug upstanding from the bolt, and said lug also serves tocontact said abutment edge when the locking plate is in the one angularposition, and the spring tail co-operates with one recess in said plate,but the lug registers with said one recess when the plate is in theother angular position and the spring co-operates with the other saidrecess.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,791,900 2/ 1931 Leventhal 742,444,247 6/1948 Cheney 7067 2,641,123 6/1953 Cheney 70-67 2,717,7959/1955 Cheney 7067 X FOREIGN PATENTS 464,457 4/ 1937 Great Britain.696,467 9/ 1953 Great Britain.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

1. A KEY-OPERATED LOCK FOR ARTICLES OF LUGGAGE, COMPRISING: (I) A CASINGPROVIDED WITH AN APERTURE FOR THE RECEPTION OF A HASP LOOP; (II) A BOLTSLIDABLE IN SAID CASING AND HAVING AN APERTURE FORMED IN SAID BOLT, WITHA CATCH PORTION INTEGRAL WITH THE BOLT AND PROJECTING INTO SAIDAPERTURE; (III) SAID CATCH PORTION BEING LOCATED SO AS TO NORMALLYEXTEND ACROSS SAID APERTURE IN THE CASING, BUT BEING ADAPTED TO BEWITHDRAWN FROM THE SAID APERTURE FOR INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF THE HASPLOOP; (IV) A HAIRPIN SPRING CARRIED IN SAID BOLT FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH;(V) A FLAT LOCKING PLATE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID CASING AND HAVING ACENTRAL APERTURE, SAID LOCKING PLATE BEING PROVIDED ON ITS END EDGEREMOTE FROM ITS PIVOT WITH A PAIR OF ARCUATE RECESSES EITHER OF WHICHCOOPERATES WITH SAID SPRING DEPENDING UPON THE ANGULAR POSITION OF SAIDPLATE, SAID EDGE INCLUDING AN ABUTMENT EDGE ADAPTED TO CO-OPERATE WITHAND ABUT THE POSITION OF SAID PLATE, SAID EDGE INCLUDING AN ABUTSAIDPLATE HAVING A KEY-ENGAGEABLE PROJECTION LYING IN THE PLANE OF THE PLATEAND PROVIDED REMOTE FROM THE PIVOT AND EXTENDING INWARDLY OF THE SAIDCENTRAL APERTURE OF THE PLATE, SO THAT IN ONE KEY-TURNED ANGULARPOSITION OF THE PLATE THE BOLT IS LOCKED AGAINST SLIDING BY THE ABUTMENTEDGE, AND THE PLATE IS LOCKED AGAINST ACCIDENTAL DISPLACEMENT BY ONE OFSAID ARCUATE RECESSES CO-OPERATING WITH THE SPRING, AND IN THE OTHERKEY-TURNED ANGULAR POSITION OF THE PLATE THE PLATE IS AGAIN LOCKEDAGAINST ACCIDENTAL DISPLACEMENT BY CO-OPERATION OF THE OTHER SAIDARCUATE RECESS WITH THE SPRING BUT THE BOLT IS FREE FOR SLIDINGACCOMPANIED BY LOADING OF THE SPRING BETWEEN THE BOLT AND SAID RECESS.